Quality Control of Conventional Radiology Devices in Selected Hospitals of Khuzestan Province, Iran

Introduction Quality control techniques used to test the components of the radiological system and verify that the equipment is operating satisfactorily. In this study, quality control (QC) assessment of conventional radiology devices was performed in frequently visited radiology centers of Khuzestan province, Iran. Materials and Methods Fifteen conventional radiology devices were examined, based on the protocol proposed in Report No. 77 by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM). Ten standard QC tests, including voltage accuracy and reproducibility, exposure time accuracy and reproducibility, tube output linearity (time and milliampere), filtration (half-value layer), tube output (70 kV at FSD =100 cm), tube output reproducibility and beam alignment were performed and assessed. All measurements were performed, using Barracuda multi-purpose detector. Results The reproducibility of voltage, exposure time and dose output, as well as output linearity, met the standard criteria in all devices. However, in 60% of the units, the results of the beam alignment test were poor. We also found that 66.7% of the studied units offer services to more than 18,000 patients annually or 50 patients per day. Conclusion Despite the fact that radiological devices in Khuzestan province are relatively old with high workload, the obtained results showed that these devices met the standard criteria. This may be mainly related to proper after-sale services, provided by the companies. Although these services may be expensive for radiology centers, the costs may be significantly reduced if QC is defined as a routine procedure performed by qualified medical physicists or radiation safety officers.